A little preparation before your car is collected can be the difference between a smooth, damage-free delivery and a complicated insurance claim. Follow this checklist and hand your vehicle over with complete confidence.
Booking your interstate car transport is just the first step. How you prepare your vehicle in the days before pickup matters just as much, both for protecting your car and for ensuring the carrier can accept it without delays or complications on the day.
Whether you’re using door-to-door car transport or dropping off at a depot, the preparation steps are the same. This guide walks you through everything you need to do before your vehicle leaves your hands.
Step 1: Reduce the Fuel Level to One-Quarter Tank
Fuel adds weight to the vehicle, and carriers operate within strict payload limits set by Australian heavy vehicle regulations. Most reputable car transport companies including White Horse Car Transport require that your fuel tank be no more than a quarter full at the time of pickup.
A quarter tank is enough to move the vehicle on and off the carrier, drive it a short distance at the depot if needed, and give you enough range to reach a petrol station after delivery. A full tank adds roughly 45–55 kg of unnecessary weight and can cause issues with carrier weight limits on multi-vehicle loads.
Tip: Do not leave your car with a full tank. Carriers may refuse pickup or require you to drain excess fuel before loading.
Step 2: Remove All Personal Belongings
This is one of the most commonly overlooked steps in car transport preparation and one of the most important. Carriers’ transit insurance covers your vehicle, not the contents inside it. Personal belongings left in the car are uninsured, can shift during transport and cause interior damage, and may affect the carrier’s weight compliance.
Items to remove before transport include:
- Valuables — wallets, phones, laptops, sunglasses, cameras
- Loose items — water bottles, umbrellas, bags, clothing
- Documents — registration papers, insurance docs, service records
- Child car seats and booster seats
- Dashcams, GPS units, and phone mounts
- Roof racks, bike racks, or cargo carriers if removable
The glove box and boot should be empty. If any items must remain (spare tyre, jack), ensure they are secured in their factory positions and noted in the vehicle condition report at pickup.
Step 3: Check Tyre Pressure and Battery Condition
Carriers load and unload vehicles under their own power where possible. A vehicle with flat tyres or a dead battery creates immediate handling problems and may result in additional charges for specialised equipment, or a delayed pickup while you arrange a fix.
Tyre Pressure
Inflate all four tyres including the spare to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure (found in your owner’s manual or on the door jamb sticker). Correct tyre pressure also helps prevent flat spots from forming during long-haul transport, particularly on routes like Adelaide to Perth or Melbourne to Darwin where transit times can exceed seven days.
Battery
Ensure the battery is fully charged and in good condition. If your battery is weak, arrange a replacement or charge before pickup. Advise the carrier at booking if your vehicle has an aftermarket battery isolator switch, as the driver will need to know how to operate it.
Step 4: Clean Your Vehicle — Inside and Out
The vehicle condition report completed at pickup documents every existing scratch, chip, dent, and scuff. If your car is dirty, small pre-existing marks can be obscured, making it impossible to distinguish prior damage from anything that occurs during transit.
Wash the exterior thoroughly before pickup and vacuum the interior. This protects you: if a dispute arises over damage after delivery, a clean vehicle with a thorough pre-transport condition report is your strongest evidence.
Tip: Take your own timestamped photos from all four sides, plus the roof, boot, and interior, immediately before handover. Keep them on your phone until after delivery.
Step 5: Document Existing Damage in the Condition Report
When the carrier arrives for pickup, they will complete a vehicle condition report (VCR), a written record of your vehicle’s existing condition, signed by both the driver and you. This document is the foundation of any damage claim, so take it seriously.
Walk around the vehicle with the driver and point out every existing scratch, chip, dent, or mark no matter how minor. Make sure each item is recorded on the report. Do not sign until you are satisfied the report accurately reflects your vehicle’s condition.
Keep your copy of the VCR in a safe place until the vehicle is delivered and you have had the chance to inspect it post-transport.
Never sign a blank or incomplete condition report. If the driver is in a hurry, that is their problem, not yours.
Step 6: Disable Toll Tags and Remove E-Toll Devices
Carriers travel on toll roads as part of their regular routes. If your E-Toll tag (e.g. E-TAG, Linkt, GoVia) is active in the vehicle, it may record charges along the carrier’s route. Remove the tag or set it to inactive before pickup to avoid unexpected toll charges appearing on your account.
If your tag is hardwired, contact your toll provider to suspend the account for the duration of transport and reactivate it on delivery.
Step 7: Check for Fluid Leaks and Mechanical Issues
Advise your carrier of any known mechanical faults, fluid leaks, or electrical issues before the vehicle is collected. A car that leaks oil or coolant can contaminate other vehicles on the carrier and you may be held liable for damage caused to other customers’ vehicles.
If your vehicle is non-running, damaged, or requires specialised loading equipment, advise White Horse Car Transport at the time of booking so we can arrange appropriate equipment in advance. We transport both running and non-running vehicles on all our routes.
Common issues to declare before transport:
- Oil, coolant, or brake fluid leaks
- Dead battery or electrical faults
- Damaged or missing wheel trims
- Cracked or non-functioning windows
- Non-standard lift height (lowered or raised suspension)
- Oversized tyres or aftermarket body modifications
Step 8: Secure or Remove Aftermarket Accessories
Aftermarket accessories spoilers, roof antennas, wide mirrors, running boards, snorkels can be damaged during transport if not removed or properly secured. If an accessory protrudes beyond the vehicle’s standard dimensions, discuss it with the carrier before pickup.
Retractable mirrors should be folded. Removable accessories that are not essential to the vehicle should be removed and transported separately where possible.
Step 9: Confirm Pickup and Delivery Logistics
Before the day of pickup, confirm the following details with your carrier:
- Exact pickup address and whether it has safe carrier access (wide enough street, no overhead obstructions)
- Name and contact number of the person handing over the vehicle
- Delivery address and contact for the person receiving the vehicle
- Whether the vehicle needs to be left with a neighbour, building manager, or alternative contact
- What happens if no one is available at delivery will the carrier hold the vehicle at a depot?
For door-to-door car transport in streets with restricted access, White Horse Car Transport will arrange a nearby safe meeting point just let us know in advance.
Step 10: Hand Over One Key — and Keep a Spare
Provide the driver with one working key for the vehicle. Keep any spare keys, valet keys, or smart keys with you. You do not need to provide the full keyring, and you should never include house keys, office keys, or personal items on the key you hand over.
If your vehicle uses a smart key or push-button start, confirm with the driver that they are familiar with the system before they drive the vehicle onto the carrier.
Pre-Transport Preparation Checklist
Print or save this checklist and tick each item before your carrier arrives for pickup.
Why Preparation Protects You — Not Just Your Car
Every step in this checklist serves a specific protective function. Reducing fuel manages weight and carrier compliance. Removing belongings protects you financially, since transit insurance covers the vehicle only. Cleaning the car ensures the condition report is accurate. Documenting damage creates an evidentiary record.
The Australian car transport industry includes excellent operators and, unfortunately, some that are not. Preparation puts you in a stronger position regardless of who you’re dealing with. When you book with White Horse Car Transport, your vehicle is collected by our own drivers, not subcontractors and covered by transit insurance from pickup to delivery. But we still encourage every customer to follow this checklist.
Ready to Book Interstate Car Transport?
White Horse Car Transport operates across Australia’s most travelled interstate routes, connecting Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin, and Alice Springs. We offer both door-to-door and depot-to-depot car transport with full transit insurance, vehicle condition reports at every pickup, and real-time milestone updates throughout your vehicle’s journey.
Get a quote today, it takes less than two minutes.
